Combination heating and ventilating unit



y 1967 w. L. WAINWRlGHT 3,320,406

COMBINATION HEATING AND VENTILATING UNIT Filed Sept. 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

WILLIAM L. WAINWRIGHT May 16, 1967 w. L. WAINWRlGHT COMBINATION HEATING AND VENTILATING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1963 T f W m w mm .Y VW N m.. m T m .M M H w 9 Q om Nw Q w T .ferent speeds when rotating in opposite directions.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,320,406 Patented May 16, 1967 3,320,406 COMBINATION HEATING AND VENTILATING UNIT This invention relates to an improved heating and ventilating unit, and more particularly to a unit of the type which is adapted to be mounted in the ceiling or wall of a bathroom, kitchen or the like for heating or ventilating the same.

Heretofore, combination heating and ventilating units have been constructed with gates adapted to be operated by thermostatic means so that they are not opened until the heater has raised the air in the unit to a predetermined temperature. These prior units, moreover, are provided with single speed, squirrel-cage centrifugal air impellers. There is not only a delay after start-up before these prior units begin to heat a room, but these prior units are prone to be noisy in operation when heating. The blocking of the natural outward path of the air from the impeller by the delay action of the heat-actuated gate causes some of the air to buffet against it, and it bangs open and shut until the air in the unit is heated enough to cause the thermostat to hold the gate open.

With the prior units, moreover, it was necessary to employ a choke coil because the fan motor was a single speed motor and because the motor requirements are different for heating and ventilating, and because of the different way in which the air has to be directed during heating from that in which it flows during ventilating.

One object of the present invention is to provide a heating-ventilating unit, which when operating as a heating unit, will provide heating immediately upon start-up.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination heating and ventilating unit which will be safe, quiet, and simply constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of the character described which is so constructed that the thermostatic element heretofore required in such units is eliminated, together with all its disadvantages and drawbacks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved combination heat-light-ventilator unit which is compact and relatively economical to manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved unit of the type described which is more efiicient in operation than prior units, particularly as a heater.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification, and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a unit made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, parts of the outside wall of the unit being broken away to illustrate the internal construction of the unit;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of this unit, parts again being broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram showing one type of circuit which may be used to control this unit.

In the unit illustrated in the drawings, a reversible motor is used for driving the fan. This motor has two rotors and two stators. The rotors are mounted on a common shaft, and constitute, in eifect, two separate shade pole motors. Different windings are used in the two field coils on the two stators so that the fan is driven at dif- It rotates in one direction during heating and in the opposite direction during ventilating. There is a transverse partition approximately midway the height of the unit; and this partition has an opening through it. The fan is mounted in a compartment above the partition in registry with the opening.

During ventilation the motor draws air through the opening into this compartment, and forces the air upward out through a normally spring-closed damper door which closes a port at the top of the unit leading to the outside. The air is therefore pulled from the room and driven under pressure upwards and out to the outside through the opened damper door.

During heating the motor is reversed. When the m0- tor starts up in reverse the heating element is simultaneously energized. Due to reversal of the motor the path of air flow is now downward and outward. The damper door is now closed by its spring and by the suction of the fan. Other dampers in the partition, however, are opened automatically due to the difference in air pressure on opposite sides of them; and room air is taken into the compartment and recirculated. The air enters through openings in the sides of the grille or cover of the unit, passes through lamp compartments in the unit disposed at opposite sides of the main opening in the partition, where the air is pre-heated if the lamps are on, and through these other dampers into the compartment above the partition. The air is forced downward by the fan and over a heating element, and through the center of the grille or cover back into the room. These other dampers are spring-closed during ventilating operation of the unit. Because no thermostatically-operable gate or damper is used in the unit, the air passing over and warmed by the heating element flows into the room as soon as the heating element is energized. Thus the unit starts to heat the room as soon as the heating element is energized.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, 7 designates generally the combination heat-lightventilator unit. This unit is enclosed within a housing 8 which is approximately rectangular in cross section and is open at its lower end. The housing has parallel side walls 9, parallel end walls It) and a top wall 11. Within the housing and intermediate the top and bottom thereof there is secured a transverse, generally rectangular partition and support plate 13. This support plate has an integral, centrally-disposed, annular flange 14 which surrounds a central opening in the plate, and which projects upwardly. Mounted on a plurality of arcuate brackets 15 (four as shown in FIG. 2), coaxially of the central opening in the support plate 13, and between the plate 13 and the closed top of the housing 8, is a ring 16. The brackets 15 are secured at their upper ends to ring 16 by screws 19 and at their lower ends to support plate 13 around and outside of the flange 14 by screws 17 and washers 18.

Mounted in ring 16 is an electric motor 20. Secured to the armature shaft 21 of the motor are two axially spaced rotors 22 and 23. Surrounding the rotors are the two stators 24 ad 25, respectively, and the field coils or windings 26 and 27, respectively. The armature shaft 21 projects downwardly into the central opening in plate 13; and secured to the armature in this opening is a fan 30, which has a plurality (six in the embodiment illustrated) of blades 31.

Secured at its upper end to the plate 13 in alignment with its central opening, and extending downwardly therefrom, is a funnel-shaped member 35, which is rec tangular in cross section. This member comprises pairs of rectangular side and end panels 36 and 37 which converge downwardly and which have upper marginal flanges 38 secured to support plate 13.

Mounted within the member 35 beneath plate 13 is an electrical heater coil 43. Opposite ends 41 and 42 of this coil are rigidly secured in the support plate 13. The coil is supported from the member 35 by two brackets 44. Diametrally opposite portions of the two convolutions of the coil 43 are seated in vertically spaced notches 45 in these brackets.

Secured by screws 47 to the support plate 13 at opposite sides of member 35 are two spaced lamp sockets or receptacles 48 into which conventional light bulbs (not illustrated) are adapted to be threaded.

Adjacent each socket or receptacle 48, and at opposite sides, respectively, of flange 14, the support plate 13 has therethrough a pair of spaced, oblong openings 51. When light bults are mounted in the receptacles 48 they extend beneath the openings 51 Hinged along one side of each opening 51 is a plate or damper 52 which has a pair of spaced, tabs or projections 53 along that side, and which project through openings 54 in the support plate 13. Each damper 52 pivots about its tabs 53 between closed and open positions. The two dampers 52 are held normally closed by wire springs 55. Each spring has a hump 56 intermediate its ends that engages under one of the flanges 38 of the member 35; and each spring has laterally projecting ends 57 which extend through openings in the associated tabs 53 and tend constantly to pivot the dampers downwardly to closed positions.

Removably secured over the lower, open end of housing 8 is a generally rectangular cover 60. Cover 60 is slightly larger in area than the open end of the housing 8, and has an integral, perimetral flange 61, which extends diagonally upwardly. Flange 61 has at least one elongate slot or opening 62 in each side. Cover 60 has therethrough a central, rectangular opening, which extends -below and registers with the lower end of member 35, and over which is secured by means of clamps 63 (FIG. 1) a perforated grille 64. Secured in two rectangular openings in the cover 60 on opposite sides, respectively, of its central opening, and positioned so as to register with the light bulbs carried by the receptacles 48, are two transparent, or translucent, covers 65. Each cover 65 is secured in the cover 60 by a pair of clamps 66 (only one of which is shown for each cover 65 in FIG. 1). The clamps 66 are removably secured on a flange 67 on cover 60.

Threaded at one end into brackets 68, which are secured to the inside of the housing 8 at opposite sides thereof, are conventional mounting studs 69 for removably securing the cover 60 over the open end of the housing. At their lower ends these studs are welded to the flange 67 of the cover 60.

In its upper, closed end the housing 8 is provided with a central exhaust port 71. A shutter or damper 72 is provided for closing this port. It has a pair of tabs 73 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) along one edge thereof, each of which projects through an opening 74 in the closed end of the housing 8 adjacent the opening 71. A spring 75, which is secured to the inside of housing 8, and extends through an opening in the tab 73, tends constantly to pivot the shutter or damper 72 to closed position as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating schematically one manner in which the unit may be wired to operate selectively as a heater or ventilator. The circuit comprises a pair of lead wires 81 and 82 having at one end thereof terminals 83 and 84, respectively, which are adapted to be connected to an AC. voltage source. Wire 82 runs to a switch box 85 where it is connected to a pair of manually operable, double pole, double throw switches 86 and 87, each of which in FIG. 3 is illustrated in its open or neutral position. Switch 86 is pivotable in ether direction to a closed position in which it engages either one of two terminals H or V. Similarly, switch 87 is pivotable to a closed position in which it engages either terminal L or terminal NL. The switch box 85 is conventional, and is adapted to be mounted on a convenient wall in the room in which the unit 7 is mounted,

Terminal H is connected by a wire 88 and a fuse or thermal protector 89 to one end 42 of the heater coil 43. The opposite end 41 of the heater coil is connected to wire 81. The terminal 42 of the heater coil 43 is also connected by a wire 92 to one end of the field coil 27 of fan 30. The opposite end of this coil is connected by a wire 93 to the lead 81. The field coil 27 is thus connected in parallel with the heater coil 43 and in series with the fuse 89. The field coil 27 cooperates with the rotor 23 (FIG. 1) to rotate the fan in one direction.

The other field coil 26 of the fan is connected by means of wire 96 to the terminal V, and by wire 97 with lead 81. The field coil 26 is therefore enengized upon movement of switch 86 into engagement with terminal V. Upon being energized coil 26 cooperates with rotor 22 to rotate shaft 21 in a direction opposite to that in which it is rotated upon energization of coil 27.

Each of the lamp bulb sockets 48 is connected at one end to the lead 81; and at their opposite ends they are connected by a common lead 98 to the terminal L associated with the switch 87. A conventional night light receptacle 99 is connected at one end by a wire 100 to the lead 81, and at its opposite end by the wire 102 to the terminal NL.

To operate the unit as a heater, switch 86 is moved into engagement with terminal H. Both the heater coil 43 and the field coil 27 are thus simultaneously energized, and the fan 30 operates to blow air downwardly across the coil 43 and through the grille 64 in the cover 60. Since the exhaust port 71 is at this time closed by the damper 72, the fan 30 creates a suction on the dampers 52 and causes the air pressure in the compartment 105 which is above partition 13 to be lowered slightly relative to the pressure of the air in the room in which the unit is mounted. The air in the room therefore seeks this low pressure zone, travelling through the slots 62 in the cover flange 61 into the chambers 106 at opposite sides of member 35, which contain the light sockets 48, forces the dampers 52 open, and passes into the compartment 105 at the low pressure side of the fan.

Since the heater goes on simultaneously with the fan, and the grille 64 is at all times open, the heater begins to deliver heated air to the room as soon as it is turned on. This contrasts with prior known constructions, when a damper closes the outlet port and is operated by thermostatic means and is only opened when a predetermined temperature is reached. To operate the unit as a ventilator, the switch 86 is moved into engagement with the terminal V, thereby energizing the field coil 26 so that the shaft 21 is rotated in the opposite direction. This causes the air to be drawn through the grille 64 into member 35, and to be blown toward the closed end of the housing, thereby raising the pressure of the air in the compartment 105 of the housing so that the dampers 52 remain in closed positions, while the damper 72 is forced open. The fan 30 thus draws air out of the room in which the unit is mounted, and exhausts it through the opening 71 in the housing to outdoors, thus venting the room without energizing the heater coil 43.

The separate coils 26, 27 may be designed to rotate the shaft 21 at different speeds in the different directions, and without having to employ a choke coil in the control circuit.

Whether or not the motor 20 be energized, the lamps or bulbs mounted in the sockets 48 may be lighted by moving the switch 87 into engagement with terminal L. Alternatively, the switch 87 may be moved into engagement with the terminal NL to energize the lamp carried by the night light receptacle 99.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that applicant has provided an improved combination heat-light-ventilator unit. A far more compact fan motor has been provided than was heretofore employed. Moreover, the

objectionable noise due to the thermostatically operated shutters heretofore employed has been eliminated. The overall cross sectional area of the unit has been substantially reduced. Since the air, which is drawn into compartment 105 during the operation of the unit as a heater must first pass around the lamps carried in sockets 48 before being blown onto the heater coil 43, a slight preheating of the air takes place when the lamps are operat ing, therefore providing a more efiicient operation of the unit.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A combination heating and ventilating unit, comprising '(a) a housing having a transverse partition therein dividing said housing into two compartments,

(b) a fan mounted in one of said compartments,

(c) a heating element mounted in the other of said compartments,

((1) said partition having a main opening therethrough with which said fan registers, and having a second opening therethrough,

(e) a first damper for closing said second opening,

(f) said housing having an exhaust port therein communicating with said one compartment, and a pair of openings communicating with said other compartment,

(g) a second damper for closing said exhaust port,

(h) a motor for driving said fan selectively in opposite directions,

(i) said fan causing said second damper to be opened and air to flow into said other compartment through one of said pair of openings, and through said main opening and out said exhaust port, when said fan is driven by said motor in one direction, and causing said second damper to be closed and said first damper to be opened and causing air to flow through the other of said pair of openings into said housing, and through said second opening and over said heating element and out said main opening and said one opening of said pair, when said fan is driven by said motor in the opposite direction, and

(j) means for controlling the direction in which said fan is driven by said motor.

2. A combination heating and ventilating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motor is reversible.

3. A combination heating and ventilating unit, comprismg (a) a housing open at one end and having an exhaust port adjacent its opposite end,

(b) a cover secured over the open end of said housing and having an opening therethrough,

(c) a transverse partition secured in said housing to divide it into two compartments, and having therethrough an opening which registers with the opening in said cover,

(cl) a duct extending through one of said compartments to connect said openings in said partition and said cover, and to form a pair of chambers in said one compartment between said duct and opposite sides, respectively, of said housing,

(c) said cover and said partition, respectively, having therethrough a plurality of ports connecting, respectively, said chambers with the exterior of said housing, and the other of said compartments with said chambers,

(f) damper means to restrict the flow of air to one direction only through said ports in said partition and said exhaust port, respectively,

(g) a fan mounted in said opening in said partition 5 to rotate selectively in one direction to draw air from a room through the opening in said cover, and to force it out through the exhaust port in said housing, and in the opposite direction to draw air from a room successively through the ports in said cover to said chambers, and through the ports in said partition to said other compartment, and to force it through said duct and opening in said cover back into the room, and (h) a heater coil mounted in said duct and selectively operable to heat the air passing through said duct during the rotation of said fan in said opposite direction.

4. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 3, wherein (a) a reversible electric motor is mounted in said other compartment and has an armature shaft connected to said fan,

(b) a pair of axially spaced rotors are secured on said shaft,

(c) a pair of axially spaced, stationary field coils are mounted in said motor to surround said rotors in radially spaced relation thereto, and

((1) switch means is connected in circuit with said field coils and is manually operable selectively to energize and deenergize said field coils independently of one another.

5. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 4, including (a) means connecting said heater coil to said switch means and to one of said field coils for operation with the latter, and

(b) a thermal overload circuit breaker connected in series circuit with said heater coil and said one field coil.

6. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 4, including (a) a light bulb receptacle mounted in each of said chambers to support a bulb in registry with the .ports in said partition, and

(b) further switch means manually operable selectively to energize and deenergize the bulbs carried in said receptacles.

7. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 3, wherein said damper means comprises (a) a plurality of rigid plates mounted on said partition 5 to move between closed and open positions in which they cover and uncover, respectively, the ports in said partition,

(b) a further plate mounted on said opposite end of said housing to move between a closed and an open position in which it covers and uncovers, respectively,

said exhaust port, and

(c) spring means urging each of said plates to one of its two positions.

8. A combination room heater and ventilator unit,

60 comprising (a) a housing open at one end and having an exhaust port adjacent its opposite end,

(b) a cover removably secured over the open end of said housing and having therethro-ugh a first opening, and a plurality of slots in its marginal edges spaced outwardly from said first opening,

(c) a grille mounted across said first opening in said cover,

(d) a transverse partition secured in said housing to form intermediate the ends thereof a pair of compartments, and having an opening therethrough registering with said grille, and a plurality of ports therethrough radially spaced outwardly from the lastnamed opening,

(e) a fan mounted to rotate in said opening in said partition coaxially thereof,

(t) a duct extending through one of said compartments between said opening in said partition and said grille, and spaced from opposite sides, respectively, of said housing to form therein a pair of chambers on opposite sides, respectively, of said duct, said ports in said partition connecting the other of said compartments to said chambers, and said slots in said cover connecting said chambers to the housing exterior,

(g) a heater coil mounted in said duct,

(h) a first plurality of dampers mounted on said partition and operative to permit air to flow unidirectionally through the ports in said partition from said chambers to said other compartment,

(i) a further damper mounted on said housing to permit the unidirectional flow of air from said other compartment, and through said exhaust port to the housing exterior, and

(j) means for selectively rotating said fan in one direction to draw aid into said duct through said grille and to exhaust it through said exhaust port, and in the opposite direction to draw air successively through said slots, said chambers and said ports in said partition to said other compartment, and then to force it through said duct and out of said grille.

9. A combination room heater and ventilator unit comprising (a) a housing having a removable cover over one end thereof, and having an exhaust port therein adjacent its opposite and, and said cover having therein a central opening,

(b) a transverse partition secured in said housing intermediate its ends to divide the housing into two compartments, and having therethrough a central opening and a plurality of ports around the outside of said opening,

(c) a duct extending through one of said compartments to connect said central opening in said partition with said central opening in said cover, and operative to form at opposite sides thereof a pair of chambers which are connected to the other of said compartments by said ports in said partition,

(d) a first damper closing said exhaust port and movable to open said exhaust port when the air pressure in said other compartment exceeds the air pressure at the housing exterior,

(e) further dampers closing said ports in said partition, when said exhaust port is open, and movable to open the last-named ports when the air pressure in said other compartment is below the air pressure at the housing exterior,

(f) said cover having therethrough a plurality of slots surrounding the central opening therein and connecting the exterior of said housing with said chambers,

(g) a fan mounted to rotate in the central opening in said partition coaxially thereof,

(h) a heater coil mounted in said duct in registry with said fan, and

(i) means operable selectively to rotate said fan in one direction to increase the air pressure in said other compartment to draw air through said central opening in said cover and said duct and to exhaust it out of said exhaust port, and to rotate said fan in the opposite direction to lower the air pressure in said other compartment to cause air to flow successively through said slots in said cover, said chambers, and said ports in said partition to said other compartment, and then out of said other compartment through said duct and the central opening in said cover.

10. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 9 wherein (a) said means comprises an electric motor mounted in said other compartment and connected to said fan to rotate the latter,

(b) said motor includes a first pair of rotor and stator coils for rotating said fan in said one direction, and a second pair of rotor and stator coils for rotating said fan in said opposite direction, and including (c) means for simultaneously energizing said heater coil and said second pair of rotor and stator coils.

11. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 9 wherein (a) said first damper comprises a member movably mounted on said housing adjacent said exhaust port,

(b) said further dampers comprise further members movably mounted on said partition adjacent the ports therein, and

(c) spring means resiliently urge said first member and said further members, respectively, into engagement with the exterior of said housing, and with the side of said partition facing said other compartment, respectively, when said ports are closed.

12. A combination room heater and ventilator unit as defined in claim 9, including References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,041 4/1934 Naul 310112 X 1,976,651 10/1934 Brantingham 219-361 2,451,990 10/1948 Sutherland Q. 310-112 2,870,319 1/1959 Ford 219364 X 2,875,316 2/1959 Ford et al 219370 X 3,097,287 7/1963 Knoll et al 219364 X ANTHONY BARTIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION HEATING AND VENTILATING UNIT, COMPRISING (A) A HOUSING HAVING A TRANSVERSE PARTITION THEREIN DIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO TWO COMPARTMENTS, (B) A FAN MOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, (C) A HEATING ELEMENT MOUNTED IN THE OTHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, (D) SAID PARTITION HAVING A MAIN OPENING THERETHROUGH WITH WHICH SAID FAN REGISTERS, AND HAVING A SECOND OPENING THERETHROUGH, (E) A FIRST DAMPER FOR CLOSING SAID SECOND OPENING, (F) SAID HOUSING HAVING AN EXHAUST PORT THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ONE COMPARTMENT, AND A PAIR OF OPENINGS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OTHER COMPARTMENT, (G) A SECOND DAMPER FOR CLOSING SAID EXHAUST PORT, (H) A MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID FAN SELECTIVELY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, (I) SAID FAN CAUSING SAID SECOND DAMPER TO BE OPENED AND AIR TO FLOW INTO SAID OTHER COMPARTMENT THROUGH ONE OF SAID PAIR OF OPENINGS, AND THROUGH SAID MAIN 